Internal combustion engine, in particular a 2-stroke internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine (100) has a crankcase (10) provided with a cylinder (11) in which a piston (12) is guided in a lifting movement such that a combustion chamber (13) is limited. The ignition mixture is guided from crankcase to combustion space through an overflow channel (14). A movable control element is provided at piston bottom (15) of piston such that inlet cross section (16) of overflow channel for entry of ignition mixture from crankcase is controllable by lifting movement of piston.